Ashes swirled in the air, caught in the wind that howled across the ruined courtyard of the eastern palace. Riven stood among the wreckage, fingers still trembling from the last blast of magic that had erupted from his hands. His heartbeat thundered, not just from the battle—but from what he knew was coming.
Cassian was going to find out.
The bodies of the royal guards lay broken across the stone, their blood seeping into ancient cracks. Riven couldn't look at them for long. Not because of guilt—he had long since buried that—but because every face he passed was a reminder that lines had been crossed, and there was no going back.
Behind him, Valen emerged through the smoke, his armor scorched and dented but his smile intact. "You didn't hesitate this time," he said, brushing soot from his shoulder. "That power you unleashed? It was beautiful. Ruthless."
Riven didn't respond. He stared at the fallen banner still smoldering by the gate. It bore Cassian's crest.
Valen stepped closer. "Cassian will know it was you. This time... he won't forgive you."
Riven turned to face him. "You planned this. You knew they would be here."
"Of course. And so did you." Valen's eyes glinted, voice low. "You just didn't want to admit it."
---
Cassian rode like fury through the smoking ruins, the wind tearing at his cloak. He felt the tremor in the bond he shared with Riven—a deep wound, invisible but pulsing with pain. When he arrived, the scene confirmed it.
He found Riven standing before the scorched crest.
And Valen by his side.
Cassian's sword was out before he dismounted. "What did you do?"
Riven didn't flinch. "What I had to."
"Don't give me that. These were our men. Loyal to us."
Valen smiled. "They were loyal to a crumbling throne. Riven chose something stronger."
Cassian's glare snapped to Riven. "Is that true?"
Riven stepped forward. "You made promises you couldn't keep, Cassian. You said we could change this empire. You said we could burn it down and rebuild it better. But all you did was patch the rot."
Silence followed. Cassian's grip on his sword tightened, knuckles white.
Then Riven closed the distance between them. "And yet, I still came here first. I still came... for you."
Cassian grabbed Riven by the collar and shoved him against the broken wall, dust and blood flaring in the air. Their eyes locked, anger and longing sparking in the narrow space between their mouths.
And then the tension snapped.
Their mouths collided, fierce and unyielding. Teeth clashed, tongues warred, and the kiss was punishment and plea all at once. Cassian bit Riven's lower lip until it bled, and Riven only arched closer, dragging Cassian's hips into his own.
Cassian ripped at the fastenings of Riven's coat, yanking it open to reveal skin still marked by the battle—and the choices made.
"You betray me and still come crawling back?"
Riven gasped as Cassian's mouth found his throat. "I never left. I just stopped pretending."
Clothes fell like ash between them. Cassian pushed Riven down onto the cold stone, his hands pinning wrists to the ground. They were breathless, bruising, furious.
And yet, somehow, this was the most honest they had ever been.
Cassian thrust into him in one fierce stroke, drawing a broken sound from Riven's throat. He didn't slow. Didn't gentle. He punished with every movement, each one burning with fury and need. Riven met him with equal desperation, back arching, teeth bared in a twisted grin of ecstasy and defiance.
"Say it," Cassian growled. "Say who you belong to."
Riven moaned, nails scoring Cassian's back. "You. Even if I burn for it."
Cassian kissed him again, slower this time, with the ache of every unspoken word. Their bodies moved like fire and oil, volatile and consuming. When they both reached the edge and fell into oblivion, it was like the world shattered and reformed around them.
Afterward, Cassian didn't move.
He lay against Riven's chest, heart still racing.
"This war will tear us apart," he whispered.
Riven touched his face, fingers tender now. "Then we hold on until the last ember fades."
In the distance, the drums of war echoed through the mountains. The true storm had begun.